Andrew Tarantola, Author at Gizmodo

What Is Big Data?

The human race produces 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day—far too much to crunch using conventional desktop applications. Mining this mountain of data for nuggets usable information is one of the biggest challenges facing modern society. But a new generation of analytic tools are helping us control the phenomenon that’s becoming commonly known as…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Science Behind the Simplest Type of Solar Power

Garden hoses are the devil. They lay there, quietly baking in the hot summer sun, just waiting for some dumb schmuck to come along and try to take a sip—then BAM! A faceful of scalding hot water. However, this painful phenomenon is not without benefits—hoses turn into miniature geysers thanks to solar thermal energy (STE),…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

How to Spread Your Music Across the Web

Cloud storage has transformed the way digital music collectors access their media. But with so many competing hosting services, which should you choose? How about: All of them. Here’s how to sync your music collection throughout the cloud. iTunes Apple’s supplemented its ubiquitous media management program in 2011 with iCloud, a 20,000 track music locker.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Stoner Channel: The World’s Biggest Binger, Snowblind Puppets, and the Finka Palmalera Challenge

Jimmy Kimmel’s Finka Palmalera Challenge With Starbucks’ recent announcement that it will soon carry a $7 cup of coffee made from a rare breed of caffinated bean, Jimmy Kimmel took to the streets to see if people could actually tell the difference. Boy could they ever. You’re Going to Need a Hand Lighting the World’s…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Panasonic ST50 Plasma Television Review: Good Picture, Great Value

Dropping two grandon a high-end television simply isn’t possible for most households. Does that mean you should suffer with some $100 off-brand Fony set. No way. As Panasonic’s second-best option in plasma reminds us that even if you can’t get the VT50 you want, you can still go for the ST50 you need. What Is…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola

This 41-Channel Hyperspectral Camera Will Look Deep in the Heart of the Aurora Borealis

Auroras, which occur when charged solar particles pass through the thermosphere, are more than just polar eye candy—they offer tantalizing clues about the inner workings of our planet’s relationship with its nearest star. Problem is, modern cameras can’t provide the data granularity needed to view them properly without be outfitted with specialized optical filters. Otherwise,…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Stoner Channel: Robotic Revenge, Hammer Bongs, and NPH’s Fevered Puppet Dreams

Dark Vessel – Rocky Curby This tale of murder, revenge, and general mechanical mayhem is set in Waxahachi, TX which, coincidentally, is just across the border from Mom’s Friendly Bender Production Facility in Mexico. The Binger Doubles as a Hammer The guys over at G-SPOT Bongs are so confident in the construction of their borosilicate…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

This Future-Proofing Torture Test Puts Next-Gen Materials Through the Wringer

Our gadgets sure have it rough. Between change-filled pockets, waist-high falls onto concrete, and dunks in the toilet bowl, gadget surfaces need to be tougher and more resilient than ever. To develop the next generation of durable surfaces, materials scientists rely on specialized torture testing equipment like the Bruker Universal Mechanical Tester to put prototype…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Stoner Channel: Armored Pipes, Smart Stash Boxes, and Idiot-Proof Lighter Storage

PSA: Marijuana Is Fun and Enjoyable and Therefore Is the Devil Oh god, people smoking pot, dancing, and generally enjoying themselves. THE HORROR. [Buzzfeed] The Bowl Band Keeps Lighters Handy When Not in Your Hands Lighters have an uncanny ability to disappear the second you take your eyes off of them. Down the couch cushions,…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The World’s Fastest Train Will Float on a Cushion of Electromagnetism

The fastest train in America, the Amtrak Acela line running from Boston and DC tops out at 110MPH. Sure, that’s way faster than taking a Greyhound, but pathetically pokey compared to the 311MPH bullet of the Mag-Lev train currently being developed by Japan’s JR Tokai. Dubbed the Series L0, this prototype commuter train will reportedly…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Stoner Channel: 2000 Miles of Red, Zero G Goldfish, and Stratospheric Cats

Take a 2000 Mile Tour Through the Southwest’s “Grand Circle” This gorgeous time lapse features shots of the desolate beauty of Utah and Arizona. Filmed earlier this month, the video includes scenes from Arches National Park, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Antelope Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Mesa Verde, Natural Bridges, Canyonlands, and Grand…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Could an Explosion Really Knock You Over Like in the Movies?

Sure, explosions in cinema are great—they propel cars over otherwise impassable chasms and give heroes something to resolutely walk away from. In real life, explosions of any appreciable size are terrifyingly deadly. This is what really happens when you’re too close to the blast. High explosives like pipe bombs and artillery shells operate on a…

Health Andrew Tarantola

Eagle-Eyed Argus II: An Artificial Retina That Reads For the Blind

The advent of cochlear implants in the 1970s and ocular implants in the early 2000s revolutionized hearing and vision loss treatment by circumventing damaged organs with digital prostheses that directly stimulated neural pathways. But these devices have been poor substitutes for the real thing. That is, until now. For those of us with functioning vision,…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Stoner Channel: Skiing Fails, Stretched Stashes, and I’m Not Quite Sure What It Was

Welcome to Cathy’s House, the Insanest Place on Japanese Broadcast Television Oh great, now how am I going to read their lips? [Buzzfeed] Real Skifi Ep 7 – Fail Skier Watch this trio of “urban skiers” (which apparently is a thing in Finland) recount some of their most impressive recent crashes before knocking down some…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Iris Home Energy and Security Monitor Review: Your House, Safer and Smarter

Manual locks and dumb thermostats are old technology in our internet-connected world. With a Wi-Fi connection and an hour of free time, you can put home security and climate controls online—and give your home a brain. What Is It? A Wi-Fi-enabled home security system and power monitor. It shows you who’s snooping about your abode,…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola

This Robo-Griller Can Flip 360 Burgers an Hour

The most expensive part of that flimsy burger from your local fast food joint isn’t what you put in your mouth; it’s the human hands that put it together. But this robotic burger-maker that preps, grills, and assembles your Royale with Cheese—automatically—may soon replace human line cooks altogether while saving the fast food industry billions.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Iris Gallery

The Iris Smart Hub The Keypad and Thermostat (which had to be mounted vertically due to space restrictions). The Iris security camea sitting atop the Smart Hub The Motion Sensor The Smart Plug The Day/Night Security Camera The Window/Door sensors (Note: These are mounted too far apart, yours should be spaced much more closely together)

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

smoCAN Portable Smoking System Review: Smoking Simplified

Smoking somewhere other than your couch can be such a drag. Cramming a pipe, lighter, poker, burnables, and grinder is too much for one’s pockets. But with the smoCAN, everything you need is consolidated in a single, secure case. What Is It? A waterproof stash can with space for your essential smoking accoutrements, as well…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola

Deep-Fry a Turkey Without Blowing Up the Backyard

One does not simply deep-fry a turkey. It’s an intricate process that requires careful preparation, intense focus, and just a bit of luck lest your holiday feast become a Turkey Day tragedy. Here’s how to cook that bird without getting the fire department involved. https://gizmodo.com/nine-videos-of-turkey-frying-going-horribly-wrong-5960019 First off, gather your supplies and ensure that the equipment…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Nine Videos of Turkey Frying Going Horribly Wrong

Every family has a Thanksgiving tradition. Some do potluck, some oven roast their bird, and some just dunk them in a vat of boiling oil. Unfortunately, that latter tradition also forebears another time-honored holiday repast—structural fires. Here are some of the most destructively-impressive turkey tragedies of Thanksgivings past. This is what happens when you stuff…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Andrew Tarantola

What Is Big Data?

The Science Behind the Simplest Type of Solar Power

How to Spread Your Music Across the Web

The Stoner Channel: The World’s Biggest Binger, Snowblind Puppets, and the Finka Palmalera Challenge

Panasonic ST50 Plasma Television Review: Good Picture, Great Value

This 41-Channel Hyperspectral Camera Will Look Deep in the Heart of the Aurora Borealis

The Stoner Channel: Robotic Revenge, Hammer Bongs, and NPH’s Fevered Puppet Dreams

This Future-Proofing Torture Test Puts Next-Gen Materials Through the Wringer

The Stoner Channel: Armored Pipes, Smart Stash Boxes, and Idiot-Proof Lighter Storage

The World’s Fastest Train Will Float on a Cushion of Electromagnetism

The Stoner Channel: 2000 Miles of Red, Zero G Goldfish, and Stratospheric Cats

Could an Explosion Really Knock You Over Like in the Movies?

Eagle-Eyed Argus II: An Artificial Retina That Reads For the Blind

The Stoner Channel: Skiing Fails, Stretched Stashes, and I’m Not Quite Sure What It Was

Iris Home Energy and Security Monitor Review: Your House, Safer and Smarter

This Robo-Griller Can Flip 360 Burgers an Hour

Iris Gallery

smoCAN Portable Smoking System Review: Smoking Simplified

Deep-Fry a Turkey Without Blowing Up the Backyard

Nine Videos of Turkey Frying Going Horribly Wrong

Trump Says He’ll Sign Order to Pay TSA

Deadpool Will Deface ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Classics for a New Secret Lair

Apple’s Siri Isn’t Just Going to Use One Chatbot. It’s Going to Use All of Them

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Is the Key to the Rest of the Series

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Early Wildfires Are Surging Across the US—and Trump’s New Fire Agency Isn’t Ready

INIU Brings Another Power Bank to the Spring Sale as SnapGo Keychain Portable Charger Drops to Its Lowest Price

Attorney Hit With Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases

Travelers Experiencing the Longest Security Lines in TSA History

Could There Be a ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sequel?

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees